


Ballad for Jaskier

by Fluffysnightmare



Category: The Witcher (TV)
Genre: Gen, Prophecy, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:06:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23342185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fluffysnightmare/pseuds/Fluffysnightmare
Summary: Jaskier was singing a (bad) song at a random inn in the middle of nowhere when someone cut him in the middle of a verse.
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

Jaskier the wandering bard, freshly adult and freshly roadbound was singing a (rather badly written) song at a random inn in the middle of nowheretown and trying his best not to butcher it. It had been a request, from the barmaid herself (who was an obvious fan and obviously the only fan), and the bad rhyming and sketchy vocals were starting to annoy even him. He was seriously considering abandoning the song midway and finding another way to apologize to the barmaid when someone's exasperated voice cut him in the middle of a verse. The voice was clear, female, had a strange echo to it and the audience immediately went dead silent as an unnatural chill set in.

Hark! The bard does sing a song  
Hark! Listen, for his tale is long  
O Jaskier, of silver tongue and gold hand  
Will you sing us our fill until night's end?

Once came a bard of no great renown  
Who went and then met a legend of old  
And as a path before him was unveiled  
He took up his lute and began to spin a tale.

He followed a star white as moon's light on snow  
Where the shadows howls, where no man can go  
And through the dark paths made all of monsters slain  
He held up his lute and kept spinning his tale

Once in a fortress of smoke and mirrors  
Confronted the mistress to escape a dark power  
And once the towers fell, and both stars started dancing  
He slung up his lute and his tale kept on spinning

When at last the journey, the quest came to an end  
Sunlight shone in glory as a star to them came  
And now the bard's path is lit with white and gold  
One is warm as summer, the other moonlit snow cold.


	2. The forests, the rivers, the markets and the tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And another one for Jaskier!

Steel is for humans   
Silver for monsters  
Dimeritium for mages  
And gold for the Witcher

There was once a village  
On the Isle of Undvik  
A line in History's page  
But life in there was bleak

For there were wolves in the forests  
Drowners in the rivers  
Hags at the markets  
And dragons in the towers

And oh! how we despaired  
For men couldn't hunt nor fish  
We could not go to market  
Our children were growin' weak

But one day -just like this one!  
The Gods answered our cries  
For there, lo and behold  
A Witcher came to town

He came into the inn  
Two swords strapped to his back  
Silver at his throat gleamed  
His eyes, gold as a cat

And here politely requested  
To see the ealdorman  
So one of us pointed  
To the biggest house in town

Thus he went and wish'd to know  
If we had monsters to be slain  
The Elder cried out in woe  
And said "Great is our pain!"

There are wolves in our forests  
There are drowners in our rivers  
There are hags in our markets   
And a dragon in our tower

If you rid us of those pests  
We shall pay a pouch of gold  
Half up-front, you'll get the rest  
Once all the monsters are gone

The Witcher nodded and deep he went  
Wandering the dark woods  
His steel sword did not relent  
Til all the wolves were gone for good

And the women of the village  
Went all wanderin' after him  
The slain wolves they pillaged  
For blankets made of their skin

The Witcher a foul brew drank  
Before enterin' the rivers  
When he came back to the river's bank  
Well, there were no more drowners

And the women of the town   
Went all running after him  
The water now safe and calm  
Was now perfect for doin' laundry

The Witcher a dark chain drew  
With green flecks on it shining  
At sundown he strode right through  
The markets for hag-hunting

And the women of the hamlet  
Went all laughing after him  
Bought and sold, haggled and sent  
Fresh goods to their families

The Witcher finally arrived   
To the old haunted tower  
Silver at ready, inky-eyed  
He slew the roosting monster

And the women, all of us cheered  
And went back to spread the news  
Our children safe, we needn't fear  
Our troubles had been seen to!

But when the Witcher went back to town  
Tired and covered in blood  
To get his pay from the ealdorman  
Our men cried and recoiled

He's a freak! A monster! A beast!  
We don't want his kind in our home  
He would slaughter us in our sleep  
So we shall take back our coin!

And they grabbed pitchforks and fire  
Emboldened by fear and hate  
And the Witcher, his welcome expired  
Was ran out of our little hamlet

Our men came home, dirtied but hale  
By the crackling fire took a seat  
And, boldly, told us of the tale  
How they'd made the cat-eyed beast flee

We women of Dorve are proud souls  
And in our youth we had all born shields  
Our sense of honor had never turned cold  
Hearing those words made our blood freeze

He hunted the wolves in our forests  
He killed the drowners in our rivers  
Captured the hags in our markets   
And slew the dragon in our tower

Oh how dare thee all treat him so?  
Bring such great shame on us?  
So as one, we put on our shawls  
And ran outside, ignoring their fuss

We all met up in the street  
Asked the ealdorman where he'd fled  
And when the fool dared to sneer  
He took a pan to the head

And we ran through the forests  
And we crossed the rivers  
And we searched through the market  
And came up at the tower

And through it all "Witcher, witcher!"  
"Where are you?" we would cry  
And it's only at the tower  
That we heard him reply

Leave me be! the Witcher said  
Have ye all not done enough?  
I swear I'll be gone by night's end  
So let me rest here for now

O Witcher you are mistaken  
Harm ye is not what we came to do  
Our men's actions gives us great shame  
We're here to repay our debt to you!

And one by one us women entered  
The enclosed space with all lights dimmed  
And at the top of the ruined tower  
Saw the Witcher pale on the dead wyvern leaned

And they felt much sorrow  
Pull'd up their skirts and sat  
From their baskets and their shawls  
Gave the Witcher the gold he'd asked

And a new cloak of wolven fur  
And a shirt soft, clean and white  
And a basketful of fresh goods  
The man's eyes grew soft and bright

And they stayed there 'til mornin'  
Chatting with the Witchman  
He taught them so many grand things  
Amongst which we tell you now

Steel is for humans  
Silver is for monsters  
Dimeritium for mages   
And always gold to your Witcher!

**Author's Note:**

> Finished season 1 of the Witcher and the singing bunny hit me in the face with a lute. Imagine a merry tune like a Hobbit drinking song becoming cold and vaguely threatening near the end.  
> And please add kudos to keep a humble writer fed!


End file.
